Terrible tips: Bad advice still runs amuck with today's job seekers

Dreamstime

Think it's a good thing to show your goofball nature with an interview aside? Think again, clown. Advice that was once relevant and effective as recently as five years ago may no longer apply in today?s job-search universe.

Think it's a good thing to show your goofball nature with an interview aside? Think again, clown. Advice that was once relevant and effective as recently as five years ago may no longer apply in today?s job-search universe. (Dreamstime)

Marco Buscaglia, Tribune Content AgencyCareerBuilder

Whether you're a 45-year-old accountant who's looking for a new job for the first time in years or a 22-year-old college senior on the hunt for your first job, you probably already know that some of the advice you're getting isn't that good. Sure, even some of the worst advice may help some people but let's face it, advice that was once relevant and effective as recently as five years ago may no longer apply in today's job-search universe.

We asked around for some dated career advice and received numerous suggestions. Here's the first collection of traditional job-search tips that may be well past their "sell-by" date:

Go with a traditional resume: The linear resume is certainly helpful when establishing a timeline of your work experience but don't feel like you have to base your resume on the chronology of your career. It's OK to lead with your greatest accomplishments, even if they took place during a previous job. Recruiters are looking for people who can get things done and the easiest way to identify those potential employees is by assessing what they've accomplished. Don't force someone to go through three of your job summaries before they get to that piece of information that may put you over the top. Find a resume format that lets you stress your top accomplishments and list your most relevant jobs without taking someone through the career equivalent of "This Is Your Life."

Wait your turn: While there's something to be said for employees who actively seek information and are willing participants in the group process, biding their time until a new opportunity reveals itself, the days of sitting tight and quietly waiting for your turn are long gone. That's not to say you need to crawl over the backs of your co-workers to get ahead. Instead, keep your eyes open for new opportunities within and outside of your current employer. New job titles are created all the time based on companies' changing needs, including market trends, customer retention numbers, economic realities and more. Don't feel like you have to participate in a traditional hierarchy of power if you have skills that can benefit your employer in different ways. Identify the company's needs, come up with a solid plan on how your skills can help address those and present it to your manager. If your company decides that it's not necessarily ready for the role you've envisioned, you can keep working and quietly look for a company that recognizes what you can bring to the table.

Don't blow the interview: Wait, that's bad advice? Of course not. No one is suggesting you tank the interview but the message behind the directive certainly isn't as relevant as we once thought. The workplaces of America are filled with people who had mediocre interviews at best and disastrous, sitcom-worthy interviews at worst.

Most recruiters recognize that today's job applicants are real people. They get nervous, they forget things, they sometimes interrupt others, they fidget when they speak and they don't always look people in the eye. That only makes them human. So until cyborgs have completely taken over the workforce, humans will continue to hire other humans which means humans with flaws will continue to hire other humans with flaws.

Don't beat yourself up over an interview that didn't quite go the way you planned. It's much more important to avoid putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on yourself to have the interview of a lifetime for a job you especially want. Whether or not you get the job relies on a number of factors, not just the interview. Prepare, do your best and if you don't get the job, move on.

"You gotta get your name out there": First of all, thanks for humoring your uncle when he practically belched this little nugget of advice into your ear after his third mug of glogg on Christmas. Granted, there is something about what he said that certainly can be helpful. You do want to put your name in front of the right people. The problem is that too many job candidates take this advice to mean they need to put their name in front of everyone.

While it used to be commonplace to mail out a bin of resumes on Monday mornings after job candidates went through the Sunday job sections, consider the dangers of a job search that's not limited by the cost of postage stamps. Today's candidates can apply for 100 jobs online without cramping a finger. The problem is that there isn't much benefit in applying for jobs you're not qualified for and jobs you don't really want. You probably won't even make it through the first phase of application bots to begin with so it's not worth your time. Plus, it puts you in the wrong mindset. Focus on jobs that are beneficial to you with companies you can benefit. You're not throwing birdseed, after all. Pick and choose your companies and apply accordingly.